Article handling device



17613.22, 1944. w E BUSCHER 2,342,111

INVENTOR.' 14./ E. Bayes/Isle BY HUUR/VE `Patented Feb. 22, 1944 ARTICLE HANDLING DEVICE William E. Bau-scher, Towson, Md., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application August 29, 1942, Serial No. 456,717

1 Claim.

This invention relates to article handling devices, and more particularly to fixtures for removing servings or the like from cords.

It is frequently desirable to remove the servings and/or fillers from a cord or from a portion thereof. Heretofore in performing this operation an operator grasped one end of a serving or filler and revolved it about the cord, a slow and tiresome procedure.

Objects of this invention are to provide devices for handling articles, and more particularly to provide a fixture for removing servings or the like from cords.

A device embodying the invention comprises an elongated hollow member for supporting therein an article around which is wound a stranded material, said hollow member having a slot formed therein through which the stranded material may be pulled to remove it from the article.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the article handling device attached to a work bench, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed in the accompanying drawing, a hollow cylindrical tube l is ailixed to a work bench l l by means of a number of metal straps I2-I2.`

One end I3 of the tube IIJ has a slit I4 formed therein, the open end of which is widened as at l5 to provide a bell shaped entrance.

This embodiment of the invention may be used to perform certain operations upon a cord I6, which may include a plurality of conductors l'l--I l and fillers I9-I9 held together by a serving I8 wound spirally around the conductors and llers. It may be desirable to free the ends of the conductors I'l--l 1 to permit tips to be applied thereon and, in performing this operation, an operator inserts the cord I6 through the unslitted end of the tube I0 and pushes it through the tube until the end of the cord emerges from the slitted end I3. The operator then grasps the serving i8 and pulls it back through the widened portion I5 into the slit I4. The tube I0 is o! such a diameter as to permit the cord I8 to rotate freely therein, and by pulling the serving I8 outwardly through the slit I4, the operator removes the serving I8 from the cord I6 while the cord rotates within the tube. Due to the spiral winding of the serving I8, the cord I6 advances toward the end I3 of the tube I0 as the serving isremoved therefrom. Thus, the operator may easily determine when he has removed the desired amount of serving I8 from the cord I6.

When the desired length of cord IIl has been freed from the serving I8, the operator mayA break loff the serving, remove the end of the fillers I S-IB from among the conductors, and prepare the ends of the conductors I1-l l for the application of tips thereto.

It is obvious that this device may be used. to withdraw strands used 'as llers in cords in a manner similar to that described for the removal of servings from cords and that it also may be used to remove servings and fillers from entire lengths of cords as well as from limited portions thereof.

The advantages of the present invention lie in its simplicity and economy. 'I'he removal of serving and fillers from cords, Which heretofore required considerable time and expenditure of much energy by the operator, may be almost effortlessly accomplished in a matter of seconds with the use of the hereinabove described device.

Numerous changes may be made in the particular embodiment of the invention hereinabove described without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention is not limited to the removal of serving or fillers from cords, but is applicable Whenever it is desirable to unwind a stranded material from an article.

What is claimed is:

A xture for removing servings or the like from cords and cables, which comprises a stationary, elongated, metal tube having an elongated slot extending longitudinally from one end of the tube towards the other end thereof a distance sufficient to permit a serving or the like to be inserted therein from the open end thereof and to be withdrawn through the slot from a cord or cable projecting longitudinally through the tube while the cord or cable rotates in and ad- Vances through the tube, and means for supporting the tube in operative position upon a bench or the like.

WILLIAM E. BAUSCHER. 

